PORT ROYAL: Rick Eckert had no choice. He had to push his car to the limit every lap at Port Royal Speedway.

Challengers were swarming all over him.

They came high. They came low. In each case, Eckert remained calm and smooth, never wavering at the front of the field.

Eckert fought off three different drivers over the 40-lap distance to claim Round 4 of Appalachian Mountain Dirt Late Model Speed Week Tuesday night. The win was worth a nice $5,000 payday.

This was the best race at the Juniata County oval the entire season. There were three grooves wall to wall, and these drivers used every bit of the track.

The one constant: Eckert. He was that good and had to be to earn his spot as the race champion in Victory Lane.

“Baloney,” said Eckert when asked if he was saving his car at any point during the race. “I ran as hard as I could every lap.

“This is the best track I've seen here. I knew Dan Stone was there, and I wasn't saving anything for anybody. We were fortunate to get it done.”

Dan Stone wasn't the only pursuer.

Gregg Satterlee — the winner Monday at Roaring Knob — stuck his nose in the mix. So did Austin Hubbard, a former traveler with the World of Outlaws.

Stone was the first on lap 12. He tried to duck under Eckert for the top spot, but the World of Outlaws ace shut the door.

Satterlee entered the fray on lap 17. He blasted his way around the top of the speedway to dispose of Kenny Pettyjohn. Two laps later, he blew by Davey Johnson and on lap 21, he left Stone in the dust.

But when Satterlee got to Eckert, his progress was halted. He tried to shoot low in Turn 1 on lap 27 and lost ground. Stone got by for second, and Satterlee never challenged again.

Stone caught and passed Eckert in Turn 1 on lap 33. But Eckert regained the lead coming out of Turn 4 before the lap was completed.

Hubbard got by Johnson and Satterlee. He raced three wide with Eckert and Stone on lap 34, as the crowd rose to their feet.

Stone tried to get under Eckert again in Turn 1 on lap 35, but he got into the leader and spun in the corner to bring out the final caution.

“Out in the open, I could use the whole racetrack,” Eckert said. “When I got behind those lapped cars, I got loose and [Dan] got by me.

“We got him back and then somebody got into me. I hated that for him; he came in here leading the points.”

Eckert got a chance to enjoy the last six laps. Hubbard was in second but couldn't mount a charge.

The race belonged to Eckert...Finally.

“We missed the setup bad [at Roaring Knob],” Eckert said. “Winning makes up for everything, and we have one more night. Hopefully, we can get another one at Lincoln tomorrow.”

Hubbard held on for second. Satterlee was third, followed by Jamie Lathroum and Johnson completing the top five.